Target towing and releasing device



A.' LAMKEY l TARGET TOWING AND RELEASING DEVICE Filed ,Marchv 21 1927 2 Shee's-Sheet l IN V EN TOR. Wfl/am Alb/17k] /m/d l ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 2s, 1929. 1,703,400

w. A. LAMKEY umu 'rovmzcf AND n-sLEAsIuG Dnvxcs Filed March 21, 192'/ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. IWW/mm A Lam/icy BY f.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 26,1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i,

'WILLIAM A. Lm, OF PABI8, FRANGE.

TARGET TOWIN G AND RELEASING DEVICE.

.Application led Iarch 21, 19427, Serial No. 177,106, and in France January 18, 1927.

My invention relates broadly to a means for unfurling and releasing4 a target and more particularly to one that is being towed by an aircraft.

5. Heretofore, when engaging in aircraft target practice with a towed target, it has been customary to let out the target so that it would open by unreeling a great many yards of cable, to which `the target was attached and which was carried on a reel by the towing aircraft. When the target had reached the desired distance from the vessel, il' became unfurled and firing began. After firing had ceased, or the target had assed beyond range, it was permitted to fall to earth so that hits of any particular firing battery could be counted. To drop the target, it was necessary to cut the cable and free the target and cable from the vessel or aircraft. In permitting the equipment to fall to earth, care had to be exercised that it should fall upon water, as cable of the length necessary for protection to the aircraft could not be easil handled om land.

After the equipment ad fallen it was necessary for boats to put out, wind the cable on a reel, and carry it to shore to be rewound on another reel. In the meantime, the aircraft had to return to its base, lmake 30 a landing, take aboard another target, and

again reach the desired altitude. All this required considerable time, labor, and expense, and very often resulted in the loss of valuable equipment. E

Another and more 'recent method of removing a target from a tow line after it had passed the range of a firing battery, has been to reel in the tow cable and manually remove the target. This ver often resulted f tension on the cable in reeling in the target.

It is an object of my invention to overcome the above inconveniences by providing a target carrying, unfurling and releasing equipment that may be automatically replaced at the end of the tow cable by another without the necessity of severing or reeling in the tow cable. y

Another object of my invention is to providea target that will be automatically unfurled upon its 'reaching the end of the towing cable.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the combination,

5 construction, and arrangement of arts as will be hereinafter more fully descri d.

in breaking the tow cable, ue to the addedy Fuirssulfnl Reference is to be had to the accompangn view on the line ,Showing in dot and dash line how the parts become disassembled to 'unfurl lthe target,

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the operation of my invention, and

Figure 6, is a sectional view of the cone and supporting plate attached tothe harl'leSS.

In the following description of my invention I shall first describe the means for carrying the target on the tow cable, and its operation, and then explain the construction and operation of the target unfurling mechanism.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, 5 indicates a cable thatis wound on a reel carried by an aircraft or other object that has a tarvet in tow. A pinv 6 attached tothe free end of the cable is cylindrical in form with a pointed nose 7 and is provided with collars 8 and 9. The collar 9 is rigidly attached to the pin, while collar 8 is free to rotate and slide therealong, it being held removed from collar 9 by an expansion spring 10 positionedbetween the collars. A' Suitable stop 11 prevents collar e i 8 from falling oil' the pin. The cable passes through the nose of the pin into the bore of the cylindrical portion where it is securely fastened by a knot 12, or in any other desired manner. The free end of the cable extends beyond the in a short distance to provide a means fbr retrieving the cable when it is desired to'remove the pin. The pin serves as a weight as the cable is being unreeled-to receive the target carrying device.

The target carrier, or traveler, consists of a cone-shaped body member 13 having a central bore 14 therethrough, into which the pin 6'its" when thetraveler is in operative position. A slot 15 extending lengthwise of the body member communicates with the central bore vpermitting 'insertion of the cable into the bore so that the body member will ride along the cable. One end of the slot within the nose portion of the body member is broadened to receive ears 16 attached to the sides of a trigger 17 providing 'a sliding fulcrum for the trigger that operates in the slot to' serve the two-fold service of preventing the cable from accidently coming through the slot, and of securing the body member to the pin 6. The trigger is provided with a sear or pin 18 rockingly attached thereto, and which passes through a suitable opening 19 in the body member to engage with the sliding collar 8 to prevent the traveler from riding 0H the pin. Spring 1() cushions the impact of the sear against the collar. The trigger is provided with an arcuate edge 20, the purpose of which will be later described, and a recess 21 that aligns with a circumferential 'groove 22 about the body member. A spring 23, that is seated in the recess and groove, holds the trigger so that the sear will be in engagement with the collar when in its normal position. Screw threaded studs 24 are mounted in the sides of the body member, and into one of these' is screwed an eye-bolt 25, and onto the other aslip-eye 26 is secured by a'fastening element 27 extending into the stud. One end of the spring 23 is attached to the slip-eye and the other to a washer 28, held in place by the eye-bolt. A bridle 29 is secured to the eye-bolt and slip-eye.

The operation of the release mechanism is as follows:

The cable 5 is unwound allowed to hang over the side, the pin serving as a weight to prevent the flapping about of the cable end. The trigger of the traveler is removed from the slot, the cable passed therethrough, and the trigger .re-

placed securing the cable in the central boreof the traveler., The traveler is then released and slides along the cable until the sear on the trigger engages with the loose collarA on Athe pin. When the traveler reaches the cable end, the target is opened a's vlwill be hereinafter described. When it is desired to release the traveler held by the pin, a second traveler isattached to the cable in the same manner as the first one and released. As the conical nose of the second traveler engages between the nose of the pin and the arcuate edge of the trigger it forces the trigger outward against the tension of its retaining spring, disengaging the sear from the collar on the pin. The impact of the replacing traveler knocks the first traveler from the pin, the second one taking its place thereon by virtue of its sear engaging the collar.

The target 30 is attached to the bridle 29 by a clew ring 31 secured to the target clews 32, see Figure 5. The target harness is from the reel and v secured to ring 31 by a snap-hook 33. The harness consists of an elastic cable having a grommet 34 intermediate its ends. The elastic cable is connected to the snap-hook by a ring 35, and its other terminal is provided with a ring 36. A trip plate 37 having a cone member 38 swivelled thereon, see Figure 6, is connected to the ring 36. The cone is provided with an opening 39 therethrough to receive a. slip wire 40 that is attached to the snap-hook.

The target is furled and secured in the bight of the elastic cable between the trip plate and grommet, the cone beingplaced through the grommet and held in position by the slip wire passed through the opening in the cone. The target clews are wrapped about the target and made fast to the bridle A by the clew ring, and the snap-hook attached to the clew ring. The traveler carrying the target down the tow cable engages either the tow pin, or a traveler already in place, and due to the retardation of the traveler, the elastic cable stretches beyond the length of the slip wire pulling it out of` the opening in the cone, freeing the grommet, and thereby" releasing the target permitting it to unfurl and flow. The length of the slip wire is such that it will be easily withdrawn from the cone by the expansion of the cable.

It will be understood thatthe above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of my invention and that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of.parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims and without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

Having described my invention what I claim is':

1. In combination a cable having one end attached to a moving body, a target support comprising a bodyv portion, a ulcrumed member for securin the body portion to the cable, a bridle attac ed to the body portion, and a resilient means for attaching the target to the bridle.

2. In combination a cable having one end attached to a moving body, a pin attached to the free end of the cable, a target support comprising a body portion having a central bore to receive said pin, a fulcrumed member for securing the body portion to the pin, a bridle attached to the body portion, and means for attaching the target to the bridle.

3. In combination with a cable having one end attached toa moving body, a pin attached to the free end of the cable, collars carried by the pin, one of said collars being movable along the pin, resilient means separating the collars, a target support comprising a -body portion, means engaging one of the collars for maintaining the bodyportion in position on the pin, a bridle attached to the body portion2 and means for securing the target to the brldle.r

4. In lcombination a cable having one end attached to a moving body, a pin attached to the free end of the cable, a fixed collar and a, collar slidable thereon, resilient means separating the collars, a target support comprising a'body portionI having a central bore to receive the pin, a fulcrum member eX-v tending into the b ore and engagin the slidable collar for maintaining the bo y portion in position on the' pin, a bridle attached to the body portion, and means 'for securing the target to the bridle.

5. In combination a cable having one end attached to a moving body, a pin attached to the freeend of the cable, a fixed and a slidable collar on the pin, means for separating the collars, a target support comprisingl a body portion having a central bore to receive thepin, a longitudinal slot having communication with the bore, a member slidably fulcrumed within the slot, a rocking sear attachedto the fulcrumed member for engagement with the slidable collar to maintain the body portion in position on the pin, a bridle attached to the body portion, and

means for attaching the target t9 the bridle.

' 6. In combination a cable having one end attached to a. moving body, a pin attached to the free emi of the cable, a fixed and a slidable collar on the pin, means separating the collars, a `target lsupport comprising' a `body portion having a central bore to receive the pin, a slot communicating with the bore,

a member slidahly fulerumed within the slot,

a scar attached to the said member for engagement with the slidable collar to maintain the body portion in position on the pin, means for normally holding the sear in engagement with the collar, a bridle, and means for attaching the targetto the bridle.

7. In combination a cable having one end attached to a moving body, a pin attached to thecable end, a fixed and a slidable collar .on the pin, means for separating the collars, a target support comprising a cylindrical body portion having a central bore and con.- ical nose, a slot communicating -with the bore, a slitlably fulcrumed member having an arcuate edge operable within the slot, a Sear carried b the member for engagement with the s idable collar, means for normally holding the sear and collar invengagement, but expandible to permit disengagement of the said members upon a body entering between the nose and arcuate edge, a bridle attached to the body portion, and means for securing the target to the bridle.

8. In a target unfurling and releasing device, a body member attachable to a tow line and lcontrollably detachable therefrom, a re-` silient target harness 4connected to the body member, a ring intermediate its ends, a cone attached to the harness end for engagement withthe ring for forming a bight in the harness, means for securing the cone within the ring, and a. target secured in the bight.

9. In a target unfurling and releasing mechanism, a body member detachablyI carried by a tow cable, means for disengaging the member from the cable, a target carried by the said member, and means attached to said member for unfurling the target, last said means comprising a resilient-cable, al

grommet, a cone member insertable throu h the grommet, and a member engaging t econe to secure it in the grommet, last said member being automatically disengageable upon expansion of the elastic cable.

In testimony whereof he has aflixed his signature.

A. LAMKEY. 

